Great leaders come from all walks of life. They are IT gurus, teachers, police officers, speech therapists, soldiers, foresters, and photographers. They share their expertise, interests and life experience; they inform and inspire. And for girls, being mentored by women who’ve travelled many different paths inspires them to broaden their own expectations for what’s possible.

Some 20,000 Canadian women volunteering as Girl Guide leaders help Canadian girls and young women take the lead themselves as they find their place in the wider world. Our Guiders are helping them develop the top skills that every girl should have – from knowing how to take care of themselves and getting their voices heard to leading a team, being cyber safety aware and standing up to unhealthy relationships.

As the Chair of the Global Task Force on Building Women Leaders recently noted in the Huffington Post, “access to as many people as possible, in as many fields as possible, helps to open up the vast horizons of opportunity that are available. It can spark the imagination of young people about where their paths can take them.” Indeed, “we need to start early to make sure girls know they are capable of reaching great heights.”

As female role models, Guiders support girls to achieve more than they thought possible – through adventures, challenges and international experiences. They nurture and encourage such leadership traits as flexibility, courage and a global perspective. And, they cheer girls on as they grab every opportunity that comes their way.